Lewis was injured near the end of the game and sat out the final few drives, not something Ravens fans are accustomed to seeing from the man who has started 226 games since the team made him the 26th overall pick of the 1996 NFL Draft.

It's unclear what the future holds for Lewis, who turns 38 in May. After 13 Pro Bowl campaigns, Lewis hasn't been himself this season. Neither has Baltimore's defense, which ranks 23rd against the pass and has allowed a brutal 200-plus yards on the ground two weeks running.

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Lewis is due to make $5.4 million next season as part of a seven-year, $44.5 million contract that runs through 2015. The money is deep background -- the pressing question here is if Lewis will play another game for the franchise with which he's so deeply intertwined.

It's not a matter of age with Lewis. He has accomplished too much to be counted out, but this wasn't the plan in Baltimore.